Everything You Need to Know About Jeffrey Dahmer's Death

Yearbook photo of Jeffrey Dahmer as a senior in high school, 1978. Photo courtesy of Revere Senior High School, Richfield, Ohio. Public domain.

More than 30 years ago on Nov. 28, 1994, Jeffrey Dahmer died in prison while serving 16 consecutive life sentences for his brutal crimes. Dahmer, known as the "Milwaukee Cannibal," was convicted of the murders of 17 young men and boys, but he served less than three years before his death. How did Dahmer die in prison?

Dahmer's Shocking Criminal History

The horrifying details of Dahmer's murders, which included dismemberment and cannibalization of his victims, shocked the world when they were finally uncovered. He was convicted of 15 murders in Wisconsin and sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences in prison in February 1992. A 16th life sentence came later. Dahmer wasn't convicted of one of the 17 murders he confessed to because there wasn't enough evidence.

Inmates Found Dahmer Unsettling

Christopher Scarver, who was serving a life sentence for murder, told the New York Post in 2015 about Dahmer's habit of sculpting human limbs from food and using ketchup for blood. Other inmates, including Scarver, found this unsettling. Scarver kept his distance from Dahmer, who normally had a guard with him at all times because of his conflicts with other inmates. But on Nov. 28, 1994, at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin, inmates Scarver and Jesse Anderson were left alone with Dahmer to clean the gym bathroom. All three inmates were unshackled when Scarver felt someone poke him in the back.

'Fiercely Disgusted'

Scarver told the New York Post, "I turned around, and [Dahmer] and Jesse were kind of laughing under their breath. I looked right into their eyes, and I couldn't tell which had done it." After that, the men split up, and Scarver, who had been carrying a newspaper clipping about Dahmer's crimes in his pocket, picked up a 20-inch, 5-pound metal bar from the gym.

Scarver followed Dahmer into a staff locker room and confronted him about what he had read in the newspaper. "I asked him if he did those things 'cause I was fiercely disgusted," Scarver told the New York Post. He added that Dahmer was "shocked."

Prison Murder

Scarver told the New York Post that Dahmer began looking for an escape route. "He started looking for the door pretty quick. I blocked him. He ended up dead. I put his head down." Scarver said he then quickly went to another locker room where Anderson was working and did the same to him. Guards later discovered Dahmer on the bathroom floor with severe head wounds. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later. Anderson died of his injuries two days later. Scarver quickly admitted to both murders. As for why he did it, Scarver said his motivation went beyond Dahmer's behavior behind bars. "He crossed the line with some people — prisoners, prison staff," Scarver claimed. "Some people who are in prison are repentant — but he was not one of them." Scarver was serving a life sentence for a 1990 murder. In 1995, he received two more life sentences for the murders of Dahmer and Anderson.

Victims' Families' Reactions

Some of the families of Dahmer's victims reacted positively to the news of his death, while others felt he had avoided punishment. Catherine Lacy, the mother of victim Oliver Lacy, said, "The hurt is worse now, because he's not suffering like we are," as reported by the Independent.

'Full Responsibility'

At his 1992 sentencing, Dahmer had shown regret for his actions and said he took "all the blame" for the rapes and murders of his victims, as reported by The Washington Post. "I hope God has forgiven me," he said. "I know society will never be able to forgive me. I know the families of the victims will never be able to forgive me for what I have done. I feel so bad for what I did to those poor families, and I understand their rightful hate," Dahmer said. "I have seen their tears and if I could give my life right now to bring their loved ones back, I would do it."

Despite Dahmer's death, the pain and grief caused by his actions will continue to affect the families and loved ones of his victims for years to come. Dahmer's life and crimes remain a dark chapter in history, with his death marking the end of his time in prison, but not the end of the suffering he caused.

References: How Did Jeffrey Dahmer Die? The Details of the Serial Killer's Death 30 Years Ago — and How It Mirrored One of His Gruesome Crimes | How did Jeffrey Dahmer die and who is his killer Christopher Scarver? | Why I killed Jeffrey Dahmer | DAHMER IS SENTENCED TO 15 LIFE TERMS | Why I Killed Jeffrey Dahmer